Media Alert
August 18, 2008

For Media Only: Sneak Peek at Treaty of Paris

More Information

This treaty, signed on September 3, 1783, between the American colonies and Great Britain, ended the American Revolution and formally recognized the United States as an independent nation.

Treaty of Paris, 1783; International Treaties and Related Records, 1778-1974; General Records of the United States Government, Record Group 11; National Archives.

WHAT: Only opportunity for the media to view and photograph
the original Treaty of Paris and other milestone documents, before the Treaty
goes on special display August 29 through September 3 to commemorate the 225th
anniversary of its signing. The Treaty and accompanying documents will
then become part of a new exhibition entitled 1783: Subject
or Citizen? opening Friday, October 3.

Highlights of the preview include:

Definitive Treaty of Peace between United States and Great Britain, September
3, 1783. The agreement marked both the official end of the Revolutionary
War and the beginning of new lives for all North Americans;

Preliminary Treaty of Peace between United States and Great Britain, November
30, 1782, that addressed sensitive issues of boundaries, fishing rights,
and compensation;

Thomas Jefferson’s Report to the Committee Concerning Western Lands,
March 1, 1784;

A 1775 map of the British colonies in North America that includes Benjamin
Franklin’s handwritten boundary lines.

Background

The American Revolution (1775–83) divided North Americans, forcing them
tomake the life-altering choice of whether to remain subjects
to the King or become citizens of an independent republic. The revolution divided
British American families along political lines and raised equally powerful
questions for those not of English origin, pitting First Nations peoples against
each other, courting the loyalty of French-speaking North Americans, and raising
the hopes of African slaves.

The Treaty of Paris is arguably one of the most important documents in American
history – it formally ended the American Revolution and established the
United States as an independent and sovereign nation.

The new exhibition, 1783: Subject or Citizen? reveals
the untold story of the Treaty of Paris and marks the first time the National
Archives and Records Administration of the United States and Library and
Archives Canada have collaborated on an international exhibition.

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For more information, the media may contact the National Archives Public Affairs Staff at 202-357-5300.